Trousers hanger



y 1959 s. 1. ROWE Q 2,893,614

TROUSERS HANGER Fi1e d Jan. 7, 1959 r l3 F l5 U H v H I l l L 5 37 3 23 I3 25 I OR. y e

AT ORNEYS I United States Patent TROUSERS HANGER Sylvester J. Rowe, Chicago, Ill. Application January 7, 1959, Serial No. 785,407

2 Claims. (Cl. 223-96) This invention is an improvement of the trousers hangerdisclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,806,641 issued to me on September 17, 1957 and my invention relates specifically to trousers hangers which are adapted to clamp the trousers legs between two hingedly related members which are easily manipulated to operative trousers clamping position and to inoperative non clamping position; and the nature and objects of the invention will be readily recognized and understood by those skilled in the arts to which it relates in the light of the following explanation and detailed description of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I at present believe to be preferred embodiments or mechanical expressions of my invention from among various other forms, arrangements,

combinations and constructions, of which the invention effected merely by applying pressure ata particular loca-.,

tion on one of the members. 7

This highly advantageous and desirable action is obtained by my novel hinge mounting of the two coactive members, a hinge mounting arrangement which not only provides for pivotal relative swinging movement of the members but also provides for relative axial movement of the members to position catch means on the members to move into and out of locking position.

In achieving the objects of this invention it has been one of my prime purposes to provide a simplified form of binge which is inexpensive to produce and simple and easy to assemble into an operating unit. The importance of economy of production and assembly will be recognized when it is appreciated that the ultimate cost of hangers of this type must be kept relatively low in order to have consumer appeal.

In making simplicity and ease of operation an inherent attribute of my invention I have not sacrificed strength and long lasting characteristics for there are few operating parts and these are so mounted and arranged that they will be maintained in good working condition over long periods of time.

With the foregoing general objects, features and results in view, as well as certain others which will be apparent from the following explanation, the invention consists in certain novel features in design, construction, mounting and combination of elements, as will be more fully and particularly referred to and specified hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of the trousers hanger with the members thereof in operative trousers clamping position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the trousers hanger.

2,893,614 Patented July 7, 1959 Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a view in section through the hinge portion of the trousers hanger.

Fig. 7 is a view taken on line 7--7 of Fig. 6.

In the accompanying drawings I have used the numeral 1 to designate generally the body bar of the trousers hanger and me numeral 3 to designate generally the clamping bar which is coactive with the body bar to clamp the legs of trousers therebetween in a manner to be explained. These bars are hingedly related together at one end by hinge means 5 so that they may be swung together into operative clamping position as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2 and swung apart into inoperative non clamping position as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The body =bar may comprise a solid heel section 7 and a channel section 9 of arched form which extends forwardly from the heel section and ends in a clamping section 11 of generally enlarged rectangular configuration. Fixed to said clamping section 11 and extending forwardly therefrom are a pair of transversely spaced wires or rod-like members 13, which are connected at their forward ends by an inwardly curved keeper member 15. The wires 13 are sufliciently rigidto function in the desired manner, as will be explained, but do have a degree of spring or give to them.

The clamping bar 3 may comprise a solid heel section 17 which, as will become apparent as this description proceeds, cooperates through the hinge means 5 with the heel section 7 of body bar 1. Extending forwardly from heel section 17 is a half round hollow section 19 which is a spring or give section and I provide a full round clamping section 21 on the forward end of section 19. This clamping section 21 is coactive with clamping section 11 of the body bar 1. A further spring or give section 23 of half round hollow construction extends forwardly from clamping section 21 and at its outer end is bent inwardly as at 25 to form a further clamping section coactive with a portion of wires 13. An inwardly extending catch 27 is formed on the end of clamping section 25, the catch having a downwardly and rearwardly extending cam surface 29 terminating in a shoulder 31.

Any suitable type of wire hook may extend through clamping section 11 to provide a hook 33 extending from one side of the hanger and, if desired, an eye 35 may extend from the other side of the hanger. It will be understood that the hook 33 functions to suspend the hanger from a clothes pole or the like in a clothes closet.

The hinge means 5 which hingedly connects the body and clamping bars at their heel ends comprises a pair of hinge plates designated in their entirety by the numeral 37, there being a hinge plate associated with each bar on each side thereof. While the hinge plates may be of any suitable and convenient configuration, I preferably form each of them with a generally triangular base 39 which is provided with an extension 41 from which a pair of reinforcing arms 43 project.

Each hinge plate is connected to each bar by means of pivot screws or pins, one of such screws 45 extending through the base sections 39 of each hinge plate and through the heel portion 7 of body bar 1 and the other pivot screw 47 extending through the extensions 41 of each hinge plate and through the heel portion 17 of clamping bar 3.

I provide a widened groove or transversely extending recess 49 in the undersurface of heel 7 of body bar 1 and opening into and extending upwardly and forwardly from the recess 49 is a further hole or recess 51 which is provided in the heel 7.

Fixed to each hinge plate 37 and extending therebetween-is ,what iI.-sha1;lterm .a: control pin 53"which exeds hrou h, t e. ro e/ v i he l 7- he. n l. Pin, for a reason to be hereinafter explained, is of less diameter than both the width and depth of groove 49 so that it y be pa e a m d mcvemn r in po i i n a coil compressiornspring,55:inthe.recess-.51, the :spring being of a len th; to bear against; thebottom of'the hole or; recess 51 and .to .exten d as short distance outwardly of said hole and into engagement with control pin 53 biasing it rearwardly and into en gagement. with -the rear,walls57 an v ts rq ve- :Withthe .hinge means components. assembled described-and-with. thesbars swung apart asv illustrated ind ts dme n: i 1 0, hat sat 2 f pina 3 i nathsmkedw e ere b r ith legs f a pa rofi trousers may be-positioned or draped. over either one of the bars whereupon clamping bar 3. may beswung oniits.

pivotg 47 until camsurface-lfiof catch- 27 comes into.

contact with keeper member 15,:- continued pressure of the.

two bars in a directionstoward'each other will cause the cam toride up;.on. thekeeper member and to axially move theiclampin g .bar. forwardly causing the hinge plates to. pivot-on pin45randmoying. control pin 53 forwardly in its .;recess.-to compress-the. springSS. When the bars have moved together a suflicient amount the shoulder 31 on ithe catch-willride -over.the keeper member and :the

spring,55-will force clamping bar 3 rearwardly so that the catch 27 will be firmlyheld and-locked against or over keeper member to maintain-the trousers in clamped position between the bars; It will be recognized that the walls of groove 49 limit the forwardand rearward axial move-- mentoftclamping bar 3 relative to body bar 1.-

Witlrthe' pants properly positioned as described the center seam of each trousers legwhich is the thickest part thereof will be clamped between clamping sections-11 and 21, while edge portions of the trousers legs will bev clamped between section 25 and wires 13. Due to the:

thickness of thelegs of the trousers it will be appreciated, that. it will be desirable that parts of the bars be endowed with adegree. of spring or.give to accommodate the thickness of the trousers legs clamped therebetween. The

spring .or give sections of the bars which have been.

described function in this manner.

With the body and clamping bars in operative clamping.

position asjust described. only a simple manipulation is,

necessary torelease the catch .from its position locked byk'eeper member so that the bars may swing to inoperaremoved. Such release of theclamping bar is effected by exerting a forward and downward pressure on the heel 17 of clamping bar 3, which pivots the hinge plates on pin 45, moves control pin 53 forwardly against the action of the spring and results in a forward axial movement of clamping bar to remove the catch .from the keeper.

While I have illustrated 'in Fig. 2 of the drawings the body bar 1 in uppermostposition.it.will be understood that the clamping and.unclamping of the bars may be eifected just as well'with' the positions of'the bars reversedfrom. that *shownyin the drawing.

I claim:

1. A trousers hanger including'a pair of clamping bars adapted to clamp therebetween the legs of a pair of trousers, a hinge means including a plate pivotally connected to each bar on one side thereof adjacent the rear ends;ofitherb'arsands a further hinge plate pivotally connected to-each: bar on :the. opposite side thereof adjacent"- the.-rear ends ofthe bars, said-hinge meansproviding forswinging: movement of the bars and limited relative axial: movementlthereof g .one' of said bars being provided with a transverse groove th'erein- -extending thereacross between said hingeplates, a control pin fixedto said hinge plates and. extending therebetween and within said groove,- said control: pin-being dimensionally reduced relative to the groove, and spring 'means'mounted in said bar with the;gro0Ve" -and in -engagement'with' said control pin to constantly bias it rearwardly to urge one bar rearwardly wardly therefrom, and said spring means is mountedin' said recess.

ReferencesCitedin. the fileof this patent UNI'IED"STATES PATENTS 2,135,846 R'oberti Nov s, was 2,605,031. Poole y, July 29, 1952 2,806,641.- Rowe Sept. 17, 1957 

